(Originally posted on vhbraswell.com on 10.27.2013)
There has been a lot of talk about how print is dead, and everything you need to market your business can be done solely online. While digital marketing is indeed a very useful tool in this day and age, print marketing is far from dead.
I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories of magazines and newspaper companies closing shop because of the lack of interest in their printed materials. Even individuals such as myself rarely pick up a newspaper anymore, except to maybe use them to start fires in the fireplace when the weather turns chilly. After all, it’s much faster and easier to get news from either the television or the internet. Even magazines are rarely seen outside of waiting rooms anymore. The trend is that newspapers and magazines simply do not have the print subscribers to keep going anymore. The smart publishers have moved their content online or in digital formats. Newspapers and magazines are found more and more on iPads and other electronic devices these days than on coffee tables. However, this trend does not mean that “all” print is dead.
Through much of the modern era, businesses have utilized print marketing to advertise their products and services. I don’t know about you, but my mailbox still gets packed with printed materials from a wide range of businesses. I still continue to get coupons, postcards, flyers, and other direct mail straight into my mailbox. So if print is dead, why do businesses still continue to spend money on these types of advertisements? A simple answer to that question is that most potential customers do at least glance at pieces of mail before throwing them away. Just the gesture of sending a postcard almost guarantees that people will look at it at least for a couple seconds, seconds that can really matter. On the other hand, when a business sends an e-mail advertisement to a potential customer, it is often overlooked, quickly deleted, or might even end up in a spam folder never to be seen. The same goes for social media. More often than not, if the potential customers that you want to reach out to do not “follow/like” your business, they will never see the advertisement. Also, in general, most people tend to dislike and ignore banner ads, never clicking on them, except maybe by accident.
Okay, so print still matters, but is it really a good option for your company? The best way to determine where marketing funds should be spent (either digitally or through print) really comes down to a business’ target audience and competitors. Knowing your audience is probably the most important piece of knowledge that you must have before attempting to market your business. The second is where your competition advertises. Knowing these two things can get your business on the right track. Remember that while digital ads, social media, and other digital advertising is important, especially for some types of businesses, careful thought should be given into how print can bring in customers/clients to your business.
If you need a marketing plan, please give me a call or drop me an e-mail. Let me get to know your company, and I will create a unique marketing plan that will meet the needs of your business. I want to make your business a success!
Originally posted on my previous website.